Name: Working with Sensitivity Readers
Start: 2027-01-16T13:45:00-0500
End: 2027-01-16T14:45:00-0500

Saturday January 16, 2027 1:45pm - 2:45pm EST

Done well, a sensitivity read isn't about restriction — it's about writing with more confidence and authenticity, especially when your story ventures outside your own lived experience. This session breaks down what sensitivity readers actually do, when to bring one in, how to find the right reader for your manuscript, and how to make the most of their feedback so your book comes out richer and more resonant. We'll talk through what this collaboration can look like at its best, common misconceptions worth clearing up, and how it fits into a strong editorial process overall. Whether you're considering a sensitivity read for the first time or want to get more out of the experience, you'll leave with a clear, encouraging sense of how this partnership can make your book better.

Moderators

Hafizah Geter

THE BLACK PERIOD: ON PERSONHOOD, RACE & ORIGIN, Author & Literary Agent

Hafizah Augustus Geter is a Nigerian American author. Her memoir, The Black Period: On Personhood, Race & Origin (Random House), won a PEN Open Book Award, and a Lammy Award in LGBTQ+ Nonfiction from Lambda Literary, and was a New Yorker Magazine Best Book, a Good Morning America... Read More →

Speakers

Roma Panganiban

Azantian Literary Agency, Literary Agent

Roma Panganiban began her publishing career at The Gernert Company before moving to Janklow & Nesbit in 2019, where she began representing literary and upmarket fiction and nonfiction across the adult and children’s markets. She joined the Azantian Literary Agency in 2025 to continue... Read More →

Virginia Pye

MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS, Author

Kirkus Reviews calls Marriage and Other Monuments, Virginia Pye’s fifth book, “A fascinating and audacious novel of family, marriage, and a society in flux.” She is also the author of two award-winning post-colonial historical novels set in China, River of Dust and Dreams o... Read More →

Viengsamai Fetters

Erewhon Books, Associate Editor

Viengsamai Fetters (pronounced wing-sum-eye fed-erz) is a queer Laotian-American fiction editor and professional bookworm.

A 2025 Publishers Weekly Star Watch finalist, they are currently an Associate Editor with Erewhon Books, working with award-winning and bestselling authors such as Kalyn Josephson, Foz Meadows, Lee Mandelo, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Brittney Arena, Linda H. Codega, and Ai Jiang. Prior to their editorial career, Viengsamai... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 1:45pm - 2:45pm EST
TBA

Track 6: Grab Bag

Tickets

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TBR 2027

Hafizah Geter

Roma Panganiban

Virginia Pye

Viengsamai Fetters

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Success you have shared X tickets.

TBR 2027

Hafizah Geter

Roma Panganiban

Virginia Pye

Viengsamai Fetters

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